Sunday, September 21, 2014

Getting Back to Life

There is a reason I titled this blog "Getting Back to Life."
When I was on treatment it was as if my life was on pause. When I was on
"play" again so much had changed and I had to figure out life again.

Understandably, many people think that when a person
finishes cancer treatment that cancer is over and the person goes right back to
the person they were before cancer. After such a significant experience going
back is simply not possible. For me, I was a much different person after
treatment. I had allowed myself to open up and live my life for me instead of
what I thought others expected of me.

The side effects of treatment also continue even after it's
over, sometimes for your whole life. These are called late effects and some may
not surface for months or even years after treatment.

My treatment caused me to have some difficulty with memory
and spatial awareness. I also have several hormone deficiencies from the
radiation to my brain. I have slight hearing loss from one of the chemo drugs
as well. When treatment ended, I was also continuing to recover from my leg
infection. My leg was very weak and had limited mobility. Almost every step was
painful. I needed to use a walker or cane for many months and attended physical
therapy at least twice a week for two years.

In fall 2010 I was very happy to be done with treatment and
to be cancer free, but "getting back to life" was not easy at first,
as you will see in the next few posts.